Floating carrier fortress



' May 1,1945. .i. HUNDLEY 2,374,938

FLOATING CARRIER FORTRES 5 Filed April 6, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 r (Tamas 8 INVENTOR.

J. HUNDLEY 2,374,938

' FLOATING CARRIER FORTRESS Filed April 6, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

flTTO/P/VEYS- May 1, 1945.

y 1945 J. HUNDLEY I 2,374,938

FLOATING CARRIER FORTRESS Filed April 6, 1944 V INVEN TOR. g v BY 2 Patented May 1,1945

UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE- FL ATIN CARRIER Fon'rnnss ames Hundley, Columbus, Ohio Application Aprilfi, 1944',sera1* 0. 529;v99

' 1 Claim. (01. 114- This invention relates to a floating carrier fortress, one of the objectsbeing-to provide a structure which, by reason of its'new and novel construction, will not only float under. a heavy load, but can also be made insuch proportions as to embody therein all of the essentialsof a large task force, thereby permitting a complete unit, including men, airplanes, mechanized ground vehicles, and artillery of all types, to-be transported over a body'of water and permit a mass assault on a selected objective.

A further object is to provide a carrier fortress including a deck, which can be armored, and a ramp leading downwardly from the deck whereby airplanes as well as mechanized land equipment, can travel between the deck and hangars or storage spaces of ample size beneath the deck.

A still further object i to provide a carrier fortress in which are formed a numberof slips adapted to receive one'or more fighting ships or the like forming a part'of the task force and which can be utilized for propelling the carrier fortress toward'its objective. a

A still further object is to construct a carrier fortress that will afford maximum protection for the propelling ships so as to minimize or altogether eliminate danger from torpedoes.

Another object is to construct the carrier fortress of superposed layers of timbers built up to a predetermined size so that the resultant-structure will float with a large portion'thereof below water level but sufiiciently tight to permit the use of deep recesses in the body of the structure which displacement will be prevented, the interstices being sealed by any suitable plastic or other filler meeting the requirements. 4

Another object is to provide a carrier fortress the deck of which can constitute an area on which airplanes can land and from which they can take ofi.

Another object is to provide the carrier fortress.

with protective armor at properly locatedpoints so as to minimize injury by torpedoes.

A still further object is to providethe carrier fortress with gun-emplacements so that artillery which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts herein-J aftermore fully described and pointed out in the section being taken on the line 2-2, Figure '1.-

t Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sec-:-

tion through -a portion of the carrier fortress, said section being taken on the line 3.3, Figure 1 Figure 4 is anenlarged vertical section through a portion of thefortress and illustrating the ar-' rangement'of the timbers or logs forming'ithe' of heavy caliber and also anti-aircraft guns, and

the like, can be disposed wherever found desirable both for defensive and offensive purposes.

A still further object is to utilize timbers which can be assembled end-to-end in sections, these timbers being permanently joined and, if desired, being hollow to increase their buoyancy.

With the foregoing and other objectsin view body or the carrier fortress, parts being broken away. 1 v

The main or body portion of the tructure constituting this invention is made up of superposed layers of logs or timbers .and each layer can heal any desired predetermined, area. The logs of each layer are arranged close together and parallel and are also positionedso as to extend across or transversely of the logs constituting the next adjoining layers. Each layer will extend through out the extent of the Width and length of the craft and as before stated, this area can be suchas toaccommodate a great number of men andlargequantities of equipment so that, if "desired, a complete-battle unit of large proportions can be carried thereby.

lation vbut also end-to-end, but wherever it is desired to provide within the structure necessary spaces for the storage of men and equipment, the logs can be eliminated to any depth required.

In the drawings superposed layers of logs have been indicated at A and B, the logs A being extended across and contacting with the logs B.

Enough .layersof logs are provided to-insure' a structure of the proper height or depth and a sufficient number of logs are provided in' each layertto insure a structure of the'desir'ed area; It ispreferred to form spaces between the corner portions'of adjoining logs as shown at I and these spaces can be filled with a suitable sealing plastic 2 or the like so that when all of the layers of logs areassernbledfa solid mass is provided which will. not become distorted. Furthermore the logs of the different layer are all joined together by any suitable tie devices such as cables 3 looped therearound at intervals.

It is of course necessary to place logs in each layer not only in parallel re- 

